Auburn fans roll the Toomer's Corner trees for the last time following Auburn A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. / J.D. Mercer, USA TODAY Sports

by James Crepea, USA TODAY Sports

by James Crepea, USA TODAY Sports

AUBURN, Ala. â?? Alan McKinney wrapped his fingers around the roll of toilet paper like a pitcher preparing to throw a fastball. The 44-year-old took a step back, wound up and launched the streaming roll of white cotton sheets into the air and onto one of the famous oaks at Toomer's Corner under the night sky Saturday night as his wife Danielle was poised with camera in hand to capture the moment of a celebratory Auburn tradition which is soon coming to an end.

Alabama fan Harvey Updyke Jr. pleaded guilty on March 22 to poisoning the oaks after the 2010 Iron Bowl in which eventual Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cam Newton led a stunning Auburn comeback as the Tigers overcame a 24-0 deficit to defeat Alabama 28-27 en route to the 2010 BCS title. The oaks are going to be cut down at 7 a.m. Tuesday and replaced with a temporary wire system to carry on the tradition of rolling the corner at the intersection of College and Magnolia, a gateway to the Auburn campus.

"Even though it's a sad occasion that we're going to lose the trees, everybody is excited, and it's kind of a celebration for the tradition that it is," said McKinney, an Auburn graduate in the class of 1992. "So even though it's a sad occasion, it's still a celebration because for everything it means to Auburn. Even though it's sad, I think it actually brought the Auburn nation closer together."

The intersection was closed in the morning as Auburn fans far and wide descended on the town to take part in one last roll of the oaks and also see the annual A-Day game which drew an Auburn record crowd of 83,401 Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The outpouring from a fan base eager to see the football team turn around under new coach Gus Malzahn following a 3-9 season in 2012 was evident in the 100-yard long lines for autographs with the coach after the game and in the massive mob which made its way to the oaks afterward.

"Here's the plan in the fall: to give the Auburn family numerous opportunities to roll these trees," Malzahn said during a pep rally at the oaks Saturday evening.

By Saturday evening the oaks, several other trees in the area and other foliage were covered in overlapping rolls of white and the streets were lined with children playing in ankle-deep piles of toilet paper and fans young and old posed for pictures.

Saturday night's roll was a moment Alan had lived out more than 23 years prior when he was a sophomore at Auburn when the Tigers defeated unbeaten rival and No. 2 Alabama, 30-20, in the First Time Ever the Iron Bowl was played at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

"I remember '89 of course after the first Iron Bowl here and rolling it," he said. "A lot like tonight, it was white all the way down the street, I love that. That's probably my biggest (memory) because I was still in school here at the time so I loved that."

As one of the record number of fans to attend Saturday's A-Day game, which the Orange team won 35-14 over the Blue team, McKinney came away impressed with the defense and enthused about the fall.

"I don't think we saw a whole lot of what we were really going to be like in the fall," he said. "I thought the defense looked great but still excited that Malzahn's here and looking forward to the season."

Decked out in Orange and Blue, Alan and Danielle, who met at Auburn and now live in Tennessee, brought their two children to revel in a night of bittersweet memories. The tradition will carry on but it will not be exactly the same.

"Something doesn't have to be old to be a tradition," said Bill Stone, the president of the Auburn Alumni Association. "We'll be here, and we're gonna roll and roll and roll this corner just as we always have and just as we always will."

James Crepea writes for the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser, a Gannett property. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.